Stories of photo theft are rife in the industry, but only occasionally is the alleged culprit the subject of said photos.
And in the age of ubiquitous social media, where awesome video and breathtaking photography set one “celebrity” apart from another, having amazing media is a must-have asset.
Unfortunately, it can be expensive if you choose to steal it – as one celebrity’s fashion model daughter is now learning.
Famous singer Lionel Richie’s daughter Sofia finds herself in hot water with a photographer for sharing pictures taken of herself on her social media accounts without prior approval.
With an Instagram following of 3.2 million, the shares were noticed by Backgrid, the agency that owned the photos.
For its part, the photography agency reports that requests to take down the photos were denied.
The celebrity photo agency is seeking a hefty payout as well – $USD 1 million.
Sofia shared photos taken that were part of a collaboration with Japanese brand Samantha Thavasa in 2017.
Backgrid states that its lawyers sent cease-and-desist orders that were either ignored or partially followed.
While some of the photos were removed, others remained visible on Richie’s Instagram account as of publication.
Why Sofia partially complied with the cease-and-desist order remains a mystery.
Usually social media is handled by outside professionals who curate and present the “image” these stars display to the world.
Perhaps a miscommunication occurred at this stage in the process?
Everything will remain speculation until the matter is resolved between Backgrid and Sofia Richie.
While it is understandable that Backgrid would not want their photos used without permission or compensation, it becomes an interesting story when the alleged thief is the subject of said photos.
Like FStoppers points out, as photography and video social media become more prevalent we can expect more violations of this nature in the future.
